Become A Producer

Why should I become a producer?

As a public access TV station, LCTV promotes media literacy and nurtures an appreciation of the local community and all of its citizens. This is arguably the most important part of our mission; without producers we have no video for the community to watch! Local independent producers create shows on various topics from a variety of local viewpoints, doing our community a unique service by offering show content that would otherwise not be available. Public, Government and Education Access television has a very select audience, so you know you will be reaching the people you most want to communicate with. As a trained producer, you can also use your skills to express your creativity and your ideas.

How do I become a producer?

Start by contacting LCTV Station Manager, Stephen J. Popp, at (207) 563-6338 or info@lctv.org to schedule an introductory class to begin a training course. If you are interested in studio production, you will learn about camera placement, tripod adjustments, studio lighting, set design, and floor and technical direction. You will also learn how to operate the camera control unit, video switcher, and audio mixer, and get hands-on-training by working as part of a crew for an established show. Field production requires in depth knowledge of cameras, power sources, microphones and audio mixers, and lots of practice. Both studio and field work require a solid grasp of digital editing software; LCTV teaches Adobe Premiere Pro for PC or Mac.

Do I work on my own or with a crew?

Much depends on your vision; a lot can be done by one person, and some crafts, such as camera work and editing, are by their nature singular activities. But some projects, especially studio shows, lend themselves to working with a crew. Getting friends and volunteers to help out can make it easier to produce a show and add to the fun. It is also common practice in local TV to get to know other producers and crews and help each other out on productions; we learn from each other, get to practice our craft more often, and end up producing better shows. It may also be that you find you love camerawork, but aren’t so crazy about editing – we know someone who feels the exact opposite; get together and you have a great production team!

Sounds good, but how much does all this cost?

If you live, work, go to school or volunteer for an organization in a town that provides full financial support to LCTV, you can take our training courses, borrow our equipment, use our in-house video studio and editing stations, and air your show(s) on LCTV for free. If you live in a non-supporting or partially-supporting town, you can still participate in all that LCTV has to offer, but are subject to fees.